


It's for the hype

by Gozufucker



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: BIGGIE SPOILIE, Foreshadowing, Gen, Some references to other drv3 characters, Spoilers, badly done foreshadowing, honestly i winged tsumugi's character a bit, i dunno what to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 22:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11322879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gozufucker/pseuds/Gozufucker
Summary: Sometimes, for the sake of popularity, you need to go to the unlikeliest people.





	It's for the hype

”Are you sure this is a good idea?" 

The nervous aide muttered and fixed his glasses, examining the clipboard he had been given by the attending officer, going through the details of this particular prisoner. 105 cm in height, 40 kg in weight, born July 1st, bloodtype B, yada yada yada, those usual details. Normally, he couldn’t give a rat’s ass about something like this, but the fans loved having this kind of information. He’d be sure to get a copy of this. 

“Absolutely, 100% sure! It’s not like he’s going to kill us, you silly bean.” Tsumugi pushed her glasses up. There was no anime shine, but she liked to imagine that one just occurred. “After all, he’s already killed enough.”

If this had been his first day at work, the aide would’ve actually felt vaguely threatened and perhaps even a little rattled, but he was by now used to young Shirogane’s eccentricity. Ever since the older Shirogane, the current director of team Danganronpa, had hired him to aid his daughter with the production of season 53, he had known no peace from tired anime clichés and theatricals that belonged more on the stage instead of Danganronpa.

But, she was the director’s daughter, and so, she had high authority within the creative progress of Danganronpa. She’d screened participants before. Some picks she hadn’t had a chance to really oversee: Rantarou Amami was the best example. No-one but the director himself had the chance to discuss with him, to “discourage inter-team bribery and unfair play.” 

What unfair play was there to do? Amami was going to die this season, and everyone knew it. But those were the rules the government had placed upon them when Danganronpa moved from staged acting to live, real reactions. Blood packs were changed to detached body parts, and clever dialogue written by experts was exchanged for the rambling of confused people who thought they were hormonal 16-18 year olds in a murder school/boat/island/whatever. 

Honestly, the show was getting old. Sure, the audience still loved it, but the aide knew that the moment something went awry (botched season, some “we’ll die together” bullshit like with Komaeda from the second game taken to 100000 in real life, some bad plot setup) the audience would start to question things and realize just how fucked up this whole premise truly was. 

His somewhat self-destructive (it was his job, after all) line of thought was cut in half when the cell door slid open, with the prisoner escorted inside in chains. Ryouma Hoshi, a murderer. A short one at that, but still with a murderer’s eye. If his height wasn’t what it was, the aide would have no problem of linking this little man with the murder of three middle aged men. 

Once the officers seated Hoshi and once they were shooed off by Tsumugi, the show could start. The aide took his seat and notepad, prepared to write the whole discussion down with all the details meticulously listed. He’d been hired as both an overseer and a speedwriter, after all. 

“So, Hoshi-kun! Or should I call you Ryouma-chan?”

Hoshi already looked tired. Aide could relate with the blight of this little man. “Just call me Hoshi, and I’ll call you Tsumugi. The officers already told me why you’re here and who you are.”

Tsumugi seemed crushed, pouting quite noticeably. “Wait, they did?! Aaawh. Here I was going to make a big speech about your crimes and how you don’t have any chance of redemption, besides this one choice that’ll be risking your life, and”

Hoshi coughed dryly. “You wish for me to participate in the 53rd season of Danganronpa. Why.”

Tsumugi seethed and slumped in her seat. This was supposed to be /his/ interview, not hers, yet he was the one grilling her like she was a freshly-fished salmon from some fine American river, getting flopped from side to side, maybe covered in the occasional slice of butter, of course, she preferred her salmon with some butter, as the taste was just supreme, and…

Oh, gosh. She’d gone on an inside tangent. She’d need to remember that for when she’d be writing Monokuma’s character for season 53. 

“Well, you see, Hoshi. As you know, the participants for these last few seasons of Danganronpa have been chosen through audition videos sent to us by our dear fans from across the globe! Of course, Japan is the largest market right now, since most of the western world still considers Danganronpa another one of those “crazy Japanese shows”, you know how it is.”

Tsumugi clapped her hands, prompting aide to cease his writing for a moment to set up a few diagrams, holding them while Tsumugi expounded upon her points. “Of course, we’ve had an increase in viewership from Hawaii and California! In fact, one of the contestants this season is from the Hawaii region, but…” 

Another clap, and the diagrams were switched. “The current projection shows that if this season doesn’t hit it big, that market in the Americas will crumble! We need to hit it big with this one to make Danganronpa a worldwide brand instead of just a Japanese mainstay!” 

Tsumugi pushed her glasses up. Once more, there was no anime shine, but she truly wished for it, and in her heart, it’d always be there. “So, that’s why I’m here- To hit it big.”

Hoshi seemed unimpressed through the whole lecture, not even clapping at the end or showing a smile, a bland look on his eerie face. “To hit it big. What’s there to hit big with someone like me?” 

“Ohohoho! You’d be surprised. Just the simple PR of having a real criminal on Danganronpa would rocket the pre-release hype to new heights! You’d be the star of the show right away, for sure! The writers wouldn’t dare to mess with your character too much out of fear! If you won, maybe you’d even get forgiven for your crimes. Team Danganronpa has influence with the government, you know. It’s not that hard.”

Despite all that butter oiling her words, they all fell flat on Hoshi’s face. “I’ve got no interest in any of those things. Murder is always murder, and I’ve committed three counts.”

Tsumugi felt her face fall against the table, a loud clonk echoing through the room. Neither aide nor Hoshi seemed that distressed over the possibility of Tsumugi being hurt, so thankfully she wasn’t, straightening herself out with a groan. 

“So you’re not in?”

Hoshi kept quiet for a moment and pondered. “Just ask your usual questions first and I’ll answer at the end. Consider it a thinking period.”

Tsumugi made a face quite unlike her usual cheery and genki-girl attitude: she was annoyed. This little man was playing around in her world of questions and games. 

Hmph. He was worth it for the ratings, she told herself, and soon smiled like normal, drawing out a small leather notebook from her pocket as she began to go through applicable questions.

“Well, do you have any close relationships that could be used for your character in Danganronpa V3?”

Starting off with the awkward ones first, perhaps as revenge. Hoshi fell quiet, but then shrugged his shoulders. “My girl. She’s the reason I killed those three old guys too: they were trying to get handsy with her.”

Tsumugi lifts her hand and grins. “Oh, oh, I know this one! You were bringing her home when three drunk guys tried to get with her. Tooooo baaaaad they were dealing with Hoshi’s girl! Hoshi’s all brutal!” She spoke in a very Mafioso-like voice, although the face Hoshi made forced her to quiet down.

“I don’t like talking about it. Neither does she. She comes visit sometimes.” Hoshi looks down at the table. “At least she didn’t leave me over it like my parents did. You better not make up some bullshit for her on the show.”

“If I sign up.” Tsumugi’s enthusiasm was pushed down the hill and murdered brutally, but she just flipped a page and continued. Another question, another question.  
  
“If you were able to choose, which one would you be: murderer, victim, or survivor.”

“Survivor.” Hoshi’s answer came out at a near instant, like a bullet shot from a gun. Just as Tsumugi had expected, too. After all, Hoshi had something very solid and concrete to live for outside of the game with his girlfriend waiting for him.

“Have you ever watched Danganronpa before, or played the games, or read the side material? How much do you know of the setting and it’s rules?”

Hoshi snorted. “Who the fuck doesn’t know about Danganronpa? Everyone does, at least to some degree. Although you shouldn’t be talking about a “setting” with how many times you’ve hastily connected it together with Enoshima. The only people who care about her at this point are doujin artists.” 

Hoshi drummed his fingers against the table. “I’ve watched occasionally. It’s not my kind of entertainment, but I guess I can see the appeal.” 

Of course he wouldn’t be a fan. This little murderer of a man was losing his favour with Tsumugi each passing second, but she just had to think about those delicious ratings and the possibilities overseas to get over her growing distrust and disgust. The questions she had in her notebook were, for the most part, designed so that they could only be answered by someone who had done an audition video.

Still, she felt like three questions wasn’t enough. Fourth, fourth… Wait! That should do, even if it was usually announced in the audition tape instead of the following interview. 

“What would your talent be if you were a SHSL/Ultimate, depending on the localization.”

Hoshi wrinkled his nose. He didn’t need to be told about localization differences: he didn’t give a shit. But her question made him think for a while. How could his interests translate into the world of Danganronpa? That was a tough nut to crack, since most of his past times weren’t really exciting enough to make for a good talent.

“… SHSL Tennis player. I don’t play, but I’ve got an interest in it. I watch games, sometimes live. I used to be a big fan of Prince of Tennis, although I dropped off it years ago.”

A honest answer, and one laced with anime! Tsumugi seemed pleased and closed the leather notebook, tucking the leather notebook away as she then folded her arms, a content smile lacing her features. “Well then, Hoshi. Those are the four good questions I could think of without knowing that you’re going to be taking part in Danganronpa V3. If you’re not, me and my aide will be taking our leave.”

Please accept please accept please accept please accept. Tsumugi prayed to some higher force, toes crossed. She needed this to spring herself to new heights in entertainment: with this, and her tenure as a mastermind, she could ensure everyone in the world would love Danganronpa just as much as she did.

“I’ll do it.”

Tsumugi sputtered and fixed her glasses in shock. She thought praying would’ve just jinxed her, but he actually agreed?! The absolute madman! 

“Well, um… Alright! But, can I ask why?”

Hoshi raised a brow. “I thought it’d be obvious. It’s for my girl. I don’t want early freedom or cash, but… I’d like for her to have a good life to the end. A good life I can share with her once my sentence’s over and done with.”

How noble of him. How /dry/ of him too. She’d have to remove something from his character and add things to spice him up. Sure, as he was, he’d make for a fine Oogami retread, but she wanted Danganronpa V3 to be as unique as she could have it be. She’d cook up something on the writing floor after he’d signed.

Speaking of signing! Tsumugi clapped her hands for the final time, with the aide hurrying over with the prepared contract. “Be sure to read through this closely before making the final choice in signing, as the contract cannot be broken without major legal disputes. Furthermore,”

Hoshi had already signed, sliding the contract back over. “Ryouma Hoshi” in clear, if simple handwriting.

The rest was easy. They changed pleasantries and split, with Tsumugi and the aide sent out the station, and with Hoshi back to his cell to wait for the day of the show’s premier. Tsumugi was happy as she could be, already planning all the advertising and hype she could generate, all the falseflags and shilling threads on 2chan, everything possible…

But aide. He felt something so wrong with hiring this murderer. And not because of /him./

But because Tsumugi had stooped so low. That girl wasn’t right. But he couldn’t stop her, as he was just a powerless aide. He could only hope that Tsumugi wouldn’t break the very thing she loved: yet, looking at her smiling to herself, aide felt as if this girl was the greatest danger to Danganronpa’s integrity in a long while.


End file.
